City of Atlanta Department of Planning and Community Development Creates Neighborhood Specific Maps to Show Transportation ProjectsMayor Kasim Reed Ensures All Referendum Projects are Shown by City Council District and Neighborhood Planning Unit (NPU)

ATLANTA – To help ensure all citizens can see locations of proposed transportation projects in or adjacent to their neighborhood, the City of Atlanta’s Department of Planning and Community Development has developed maps showing specific target areas. The City of Atlanta has taken a comprehensive and inclusive approach to develop a list of projects that would be funded by the 15 percent allocation, an estimated $9.4 million per year for 10 years, totaling approximately $94 million. The initial list covers the first five years of the T-SPLOST and focuses on small neighborhood projects and other improvements.

Over the last several months, city staff has reviewed transportation needs identified by city departments, worked with Atlanta City Council members, met with numerous community groups and convened a series of public meetings. Valuable input from residents and business owners was obtained throughout the process and includes several priorities. First, residents and business owners want a focus on city-owned facilities and roads instead of state-owned areas. Second, our constituents favor sidewalks, crosswalks, roadway maintenance and bicycle projects, each one a core part of the quality of life of neighborhoods.

Mayor Kasim Reed announced his support of the Regional Transportation Referendum last week along with local business leaders at a news conference at Atlanta City Hall. The maps identifying project locations are online.

“These maps allow you to see local areas where investment is planned. I want all citizens and businesses in the City of Atlanta to take note of how the projects can directly benefit their community,” said Mayor Kasim Reed. “It has been calculated that nearly 93-percent of our citizens live within a half-mile of one or more of the proposed transportation projects,” he said.

On July 31, voters within the 10-county Atlanta metropolitan area will decide whether to fund local and regional transportation projects through a regional transportation referendum. An economist has estimated total revenues from the referendum to be $7.2 billion over the ten-year period. This will be split into two separate funding sources: $6.1 billion (85% of the total) for regional projects selected by the Regional Transportation Roundtable in October 2011, and 15% allocated directly to counties and cities.

“With input from citizens and the Atlanta City Council, we have finalized a list of 108 transportation projects that will impact all neighborhoods city wide,” said Commissioner James E. Shelby, Department of Planning and Community Development. “The key component of our list is that it includes projects from our Connect Atlanta Plan and other major planning documents already approved by the community and City Council members,” he said.

Over the last several months, the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office, Department of Planning & Community Development and Department of Public Works, in coordination with Atlanta residents and the Atlanta City Council, have developed a draft rolling list of projects to be funded from 2013-2018 by the 15% local allocation.

“Planning staff conducted several city-wide open house events and also sought approval from citizens and Atlanta City Council on the proposed list of projects,” said Office of Planning Director, Charletta Wilson Jacks. “The maps are another tool we created to help residents see what is planned for their community,” she said.

If you would like more information about the City of Atlanta’s 15% Regional Transportation project list or to see a copy of the project list maps by NPU or Council District, click here.

About the Department of Planning and Community Development:
The mission of the Department of Planning and Community Development is to plan and implement the future by guiding the physical and economic development of the City while enhancing the quality of life for all through a comprehensive range of planning, design review, construction plan approval, and housing preservation and assistance services and programs.